Agrivoltaics, a system combining the production of agricultural crops and solar energy on the same land area, offers a potential solution to land use competition between different sectors. However, concerns have been raised regarding the impact of shade on plant growth under Agrivoltaic Systems (AVSs). Numerous studies have explored the effects of AVSs shading on agricultural crops. However, most of these studies focused on shade-tolerant crops, leaving a gap in the understanding of how these systems affect shade-intolerant crops. To this end, this study was conducted in Bari, southern Italy, using two types of AVSs: conventional (Con) and semi-transparent (ST) panels. The objective was to assess the impacts of the different levels of shading on the tomato yield and fruit quality. Tomato cultivation occurred between May and August under various conditions: Con panels, ST panels, and Open Field. The results revealed that soil temperature decreased under both AVSs compared to in the open field conditions. However, the significant reduction in photosynthetically active radiation (PAR), up to 43% in ST and 67% in Con, led to yield reductions ranging between 28% and 58% in ST and Con, respectively. Nonetheless, AVSs demonstrated their potential to reduce irrigation water demand by over 15% in ST and more than 20% in Con. Interestingly, the AVSs reduced fruit size but improved certain fruit quality attributes, such as titratable acidity, which is closely correlated with fruit flavour. These findings highlight the challenges of cultivating shade-intolerant crops under AVSs in a Mediterranean climate, while temperate, dry conditions may offer more favourable prospects for agricultural production.

Climate change is intensifying water scarcity and increasing uncertainty in water availability, placing growing pressure on irrigated agriculture, which accounts for nearly 70% of global freshwater withdrawals. In response to these challenges, many irrigation districts have transitioned from open channels to pressurized distribution systems to improve efficiency. However, despite substantial investments, operational performance often lags expectations due to hydraulic constraints, uneven pressure distribution, and limited capacity to diagnose system behavior under variable demand conditions. Addressing these challenges requires integrated approaches that combine field observations with hydraulic simulation to support targeted rehabilitation and enhance system resilience.This study presents an integrated diagnostic–simulation framework for the performance assessment and rehabilitation of pressurized irrigation systems, applied to District 10 of the Capitanata irrigation scheme (southern Italy) as a representative case study. The district covers approximately 2,000 ha (317 hydrants) and is supplied by a storage reservoir. The proposed methodology couples extensive field-surveys with stochastic hydraulic modeling to capture system behavior under peak and uncertain demand conditions.Field surveys including infrastructure layout, water delivery rules, design parameters, cropping patterns, and registered irrigation volumes, were utilized to parameterize the simulation. Hourly discharge data was analyzed to identify the critical 10-day peak demand period, representing the most demanding operating conditions. Upstream discharges were estimated using the Clément model and validated against empirical data to ensure consistency.Hydraulic performance was assessed at two complementary levels using the ICARE and AKLA simulation models, based on 1,000 randomly generated operating configurations of hydrant demand (simultaneous operation and discharge), from which the resulting pressure conditions were computed to explicitly account for demand uncertainty. ICARE quantified network-scale performance through Indexed Characteristic Curves, expressing the percentage of configurations satisfying minimum pressure requirements. AKLA evaluated hydrant-level performance using relative pressure deficit (RPD) and reliability, defined as the frequency with which a hydrant meets the required pressure.Diagnostic results under peak conditions revealed an overall network performance of only 62%, with significant localized pressure deficits. Based on these findings, we developed a targeted rehabilitation strategy that prioritized existing infrastructure, allowing pipe diameter to increase only where strictly necessary to minimize costs. Post-rehabilitation simulations demonstrated a critical performance shift: the operating set-point improved to 100% satisfaction, with all hydrants meeting minimum pressure requirements.The proposed framework demonstrates that integrating field diagnostics with stochastic simulation can drive cost-effective rehabilitation, ensuring the resilience of pressurized irrigation networks against the growing threat of climatic uncertainty.

Background: Global water scarcity, intensified by climate change, demands optimization of irrigation systems consuming 70% of freshwater resources. Despite significant investments in modernizing irrigation infrastructure from open channels to pressurized networks, performance often falls below expectations. Objective: This study develops an integrated diagnostic and simulation framework for evaluating and improving large-scale pressurized irrigation systems by adapting the Mapping System and Services for Pressurized Irrigation (MASSPRES) methodology. Methods: The framework integrates three components: (1) demand flow dynamics determination using stochastic modelling; (2) hydraulic performance simulation incorporating multiple flow regimes; and (3) performance analysis using relative pressure deficit and reliability indicators. The methodology combines deterministic soil water balance calculations with stochastic farmer behaviour modelling. Results: Application to the Sinistra Ofanto irrigation scheme revealed localized pressure deficits during peak demand periods. The rehabilitation strategy restored full hydraulic feasibility of the network, increasing the proportion of hydraulically satisfied operating configurations from 62% to 100% under peak demand conditions and ensuring adequate pressure at all 317 hydrants across the system. Conclusions: The methodology provides robust decision support for cost-effective rehabilitation, ensuring reliable water delivery while promoting water-energy efficiency.

The Nexus concept recently emerged as a theoretical approach to natural resources management, which highlights the interconnections and interdependencies among different sectors (typically Water-Energy-Food-Ecosystems, WEFE). It is seen as an opportunity to support sustainability transitions, overcoming sectoral perspectives and conflicts that often hinder such processes. This is particularly crucial for irrigated agriculture in the Mediterranean areas, which has a central role for the socio-economic well-being but is being impacted by a multiplicity of relevant issues, such as the high demand for natural resources (water, soil, energy) and related costs in a context of limited availability. However, despite the increasing attention received in the scientific community, the Nexus concept is still limitedly implemented and operationalized.This study, part of the ERASMUS project (Funded by the European Union—Next-Generation EU—National Recovery and Resilience Plan NRRP —MISSION 4 COMPONENT C2, INVESTIMENT N. 1.1, CALL PRIN 2022 D.D. 104 02-02-2022, Project 2022WLW9X8, Equality and Resilience of Agroecosystems through Smart water Management and Use—ERASMUS CUP N. B53D23006510006), aims at providing tools for an improved understanding of the WEFE Nexus in irrigated agroecosystems, while supporting its implementation exploring the role that innovative technologies might have.The research employs two complementary methodologies: numerical modelling of irrigation networks and System Dynamics (SD) modelling. Numerical modelling simulates the behavior of irrigation networks under different operating scenarios, using a set of indicators to describe key system properties such as system reliability, water distribution equity, pressure deficit or excess, and water/energy use efficiency. SD modelling extends this analysis by incorporating broader system dynamics, including ecosystem and socio-economic factors represented through aggregated multidimensional indicators. Together, these approaches aim to provide a comprehensive overview of the state of irrigated systems and their potential evolution under multiple scenarios, which include the introduction of smart devices supporting network management, showing the effects they can have on system performance.The numerical modelling approach relies also on the Rapid Appraisal Procedure, forming the basis for performance analysis through both physical and qualitative assessments. Field surveys collect data on cropping patterns and registered water volumes, which are integrated into simulation processes using Clément’s model to estimate discharge and pressure dynamics. Field calibration refines the model further, enabling detailed performance analysis at both hydrant and network levels. This structured workflow identifies critical performance gaps and inefficiencies, offering insights to optimize resource use and improve operational reliability.The approach is being tested in two case studies in Southern Italy. A Community of Innovation has been stablished in the areas, which actively supports modelling activities, fostering stakeholder involvement and ensuring their support in understanding the potential for implementation and wider uptake of the proposed technologies.